Supporting stand



p 1936- o. J. GERSCHEFSKI 2,055,761

SUPPORTING STAND Filed April 3, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR i E OTTO J. GERSCHEFSKI 1 BY 4 ATTORNEY Sept. 29, 1936. o. J. GERSCHEFSKI SUPPORTING STAND Filed April 5, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WW E H C S -m G J 0 T T 0 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT eerie E SUPPORTING: STAND:

OttoJ." Gerschefski, Meriden, 001111., assignor to. The Herco Art Manufacturing; Company, Meriden;

Comm, a. corporationof Connecticut Application April; 3,. 1934-, Serial-No.1 7185816 porting stands, sectional lighting fixtures; and:

like. The present invention contemplates-a system of fittings whereby supporting stands for lamps or. articles of furniture or sectional lighting fixtures may. be, made up. out of a. standard central.

body member and a plurality of. radiating. arms orlegs, the central supporting member and:- the arms or legs being so designed that-the. central body: member can cooperate with a selected set of. radiating arms or legs. These-radiating-members are'provi-ded with lugsof standard; size and. dimension varied only in accordance with the number- OfiSuch'radiating members aswillwcom prise a set and;so arranged that the lugs may be received in the: body member and secured to it sozthat .the'radiating members are exactlyslocated in. position and: firmly heldin: such position.

According to the present'invention', these radiating members arepreferably inthe form of'cast ings made'inpermanent molds and eachcastingpirrespective of its ornamentaldesigntis: provided with a. lug.. The. lugs. on all. the. castings: forming the. series of. fittings are. identical. with one another eXceptfor the angulanwidth: of. the lug. These widths are sochosen that12, 3. 4,.5, or. Slugs of'identioalsize will completeza: circumference andfit the bodyxmember so as to: properly space the radiating members and when; clamped. in place, secure them. in. fixed. position;v

The present invention also contemplates: that the radiatingarms or legs shalllea'clr be: provided with a surface adapted toengage the. outer surface of the body member soas to further. rein:- forcethe structure and prevent: loosening; of. the parts once they have been; properly secured; to;- gether.

In carrying'out the present invention, the.cast-- ings are preferably made in. molding apparatus such asis shown in my application'fqr'molding: apparatus-and method of making. the. same exe ecuted and filed concurrently herewithxand bearsing Serial N 0. 718,817. This casting process contemplates the making of the lugs and. adjacent parts of the casting uniformirrespective. of: the ornamental design of the casting and varied only in accordance withthe number offsucl'rradiating members as shall form a set..

The accompanying drawings show, .for purposes of illustrating the presentv invention, several of.

the many embodiments in whichv the invention:

may take form, it being understoodithat the1drawings are illustrative of the inventionarathen'than. limiting the same. In. these drawings:

Fig. 1' is a longitudinal. sectional: view: through.

an assemblage having four armsor legs.

Fig. 2 isatransverse sectional viewonztheline:

2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3a ,-3b;- 3c are-fragmentary sectional views takenzon the; line 3=-3'.- of Fig. 1-. illustrating; three arm, four; arm, andasix: arm. assemblages, .respec:- tively:.

Fig. 4 is aifragmentary side: elevational. View showing the; lug for; a; four.- arm: assemblage. 5;

Figs; .5 andgfl? are: fragmentary el'evati'ona-l .views. taking thedirection ofiarr-ows; Sand 6 ofFig. 4,. parts being: in; section..

Fig. 7; is a. diagrammatic; elevational view illustratinga fixture. body; or the-like made up of two; 10.

sets of; arms and assemblages;

Fig. .Siis atperspective viewofalamp or furniturez base. 013813311111 employing.- four: legs- Fig. 9 is a similar view of a threedeg structure; providediwith'a ring;.

Eigz. 9.u.:is a:- fragmentary sectional. view: showing. a. detail: of. Fig; 9:.

Fig. 10. lSabPEISDBBtLVB view. illustrating azbody. part. of- 2.5. five: arm; lighting: fixture.

Asshowmimli'igs. 1': and;2,-. the? assemblage em-. ploys: a central: bodyp nember. It. a'. plurality of: radiatingamembers Iii which. may: be in-the'formt ofz'arms or legs of any. desiredornamental' shape. a thread'edarod or; tubev lZ,.and a nut l3. with or. without. washers: l4.

llhe body member to isrhere shownzas'haying a threadedzhole; 155;. an. outer: surface ['6 which; is. preferably cylindrical: (althoughitmay. be.slight.- 1y tapered) and; an inner comicallytaperedsurface H The-boreof: the; body member. III is; preferablyturned: to have aslightlylarger diameter as indicated at; Ht. to. provide clearance.

The-radiating. memhersi H. are each provided with laterally: extending: portions 20: andi each of. these laterallyextendingportionsisprovidedwith: a lug 2 l extending. parallel to: the adjacent: part: of the casing: H

There maybe three ofitheselugsi-l asindicated; in Fig. 3b, or-four ofthem aslindicatedzin' Figs: 2, 3a, and 4 to 6, or six of them asindicated inllig. 40 3c. Sectional structures employing. two, five,.or morethan six. radiating members. are not. in.- dicated in these drawings, althoughthey may be: madeupif'desiredl The outer. surface 2-2-;of.these. lugsis conical and of the same taper: as the tapered-bore in'the housing: so that these conical. surfaces: closelyfit; 'I-heangulan extent of the lugs is'determinedbythe' number of arms to be employed-in the set. In" a fourarm or leg structure, the' angular'width-of-each' lug-is 90 as=will beapparentiin Figs. 2; 3a,; 5 andrfii I'n-thethree arm device. the angular. extent of each lug is l2'0', as indicated in Fig. 3b, andin the six arm device... the angular extent of," each is 60, as in- 55 dicated inFig.v 30.. Theside facesof the lugs are indicated by the short radial lines. 23' appearing intthezdrawings... Each of the lugs is. hollowed outtas indicated at. 24- to. accommodate the. tube.

or.-r.od-.I2.anditoifacilitateassembly. The smaller 60.

'ber indicated at 46.

end of each lug is preferably bevelled or chamfered as indicated at 25.

The lateral extensions 20 of these castings or arms II which carry the lugs are made of standard width, as will appear from Figs. 3a, 3b, and 3c and each occupies not over 60 so that when this standard sized extension is employed on the six arm assemblage, there is nothing to interfere with bringing the parts to the desired position. Should assemblages with more than six radiating arms be contemplated, the extensions and legs would be designed accordingly.

When the parts are assembled, the tightening up of the nut on the rod or tube l2 acts to press the lugs into the tapered bore and brings all the parts into an exceedingly close, tight and compact assemblage in which looseness is completely avoided. This is on account of the accurate manner in which the parts are made.

Fig. 7 illustrates a structure having two body members 353 and Si, an upper set of arms 32 and a lower set of arms 33 and the outer ends of these arms may be secured together, as at 35, in any desired manner either directly or by means of a ring. The inner ends of the arms have lugs 32' and 33' similar to thelugs 2|. The two bodies 36 and 3! are carried on a rod or tube 34, the whole assemblage being secured together by a nut indicated at 34.

The design of the arm or leg may be varied widely and also the use to which these assemblages may be put. Fig. 8 is an assemblage having four arms Ali carried on an ornamented central body member All and having their outer ends free. This would form, for example, a four legged lamp support, the wiring being carried up through the tube l2. In Fig. 9 a construction similar to Fig. 8 is shown, except that there are three arms each of which carries a threaded stud 42 which extends through aring 43 and is secured in place by a nut 44. Fig. 10 shows an arrangement for a lighting fixture having five arms 45, for instance, one of which is not indicated. These arms are carried on a body mem- In the constructions of Figs. 8, 9, and 10 ornamental nuts are indicated at 41 instead of the nut shown at l3 in Fig. 2.

It is obvious that the invention may be embodied in many forms and constructions, and I wish it to be understood that the particular forms shown are but a few of the many forms. It is also obvious that various modifications and changes are possible and, therefore, I do not limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a body member having a conically tapered bore, a plurality of radiating members each provided with an angular extension opposed to the open end of the body, a lug projecting from one side of said extension and disposed in said bore, each lug being too short to reach the bottom of the bore and having a conical face to fit the tapered wall of the bore and side faces in dihedral planes to engage corresponding side faces of adjacent lugs, and means to exert axial pressure on said extensions and the body member in a direction to press the lugs into wedging engagement with the wall of said bore.

2. In combination, a body member having a conically tapered bore, a plurality of radiating members each provided with an angular extension opposed to the open end of the body member, a lug at one side of the free end of said extension and disposed in said bore, each lug being too short to reach the bottom of the bore and having a conical face to fit the tapered wall of the bore and side faces in dihedral planes to engage corresponding side faces of adjacent lugs, a rod extending axially through the body member in threaded connection therewith and between the lugs, and cooperative threaded means for exerting axial pressure on the extensions and body member in a direction to press the lugs into wedging engagement with the wall of said bore.

3. In combination, a body member having a conically tapered bore, an axial rod onto which the body member is threaded, a plurality of radiating members each provided with an angular extension opposed to the open end of the body member, a lug at one side of said extension and disposed in said bore, each lug being too short to reach the bottom of the bore and having a conical face to fit the tapered wall of the bore, side faces in dihedral planes to engage corresponding side faces of adjacent lugs and an inner face spaced from the rod, and a nut threaded on said rod and bearing on the extensions to force said lugs into wedging engagement with the wall of said bore when tightened.

4. In combination, a body member of circular outer cross section and having a conically tapered bore, an axial rod on which the body member is threaded, a plurality of radiating members each provided with an angular extension opposed to the open end of said bore, a lug oifset from one side of said extension and disposed in the bore, each lug being too short to reach the bottom of the bore and having a conical face to fit the tapered wall of the bore and side faces in dihedral planes to engage corresponding side faces of adjacent lugs and an inner face spaced from the rod, each radiating member having a portion with a concave surface opposite the conical surface of its companion lug to fit the convex outside surf-ace of the body member, and a nut threaded on the rod and bearing on opposed sides of said extensions to force the lugs into wedging engagement with the wall of said bore and the opposed concave and convex surfaces of said radiating members and the body member.

5. In a device of the class described, a substantially annular support, a leg or arm comprising a casting having a body part, an angular extension, and a lug carried at one side of said extension in spaced relation to an adjacent portion of the body part, the lug having an outer surface of conical tapered shape and side surfaces in radial dihedral planes with respect to the axis of a cone, the inner surface of said portion of the body part being a co-axial surface whereby the opposed surfaces of the portion of the body part and its companion lug wedgingly engage opposite faces of said support.

6. In combination, a cylindrical body member having a conically tapered bore, a plurality of radial members each provided with an offset and substantially parallel lug disposed in the bore, each lug being too short to reach the bottom of the bore and having a conical face to fit the tapered wall of the bore and side faces opposed to corresponding side faces of adjacent lugs, each radial member having a portion with a concave surface opposite the conical surface of its companion lug to fit the outside surface of the body member, and means to exert axial pressure on the radial members and the body member to force the lugs into wedging engagement with the wall of said bore.

OTTO J. GERSCHEFSKI. 

